{"id":10123,"date":"2026-02-10T10:58:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T09:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ibj.be\/?p=10123"},"modified":"2026-02-10T11:46:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T10:46:46","slug":"ai-for-legal-departments-from-adoption-to-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ibj.be\/en\/partnerblog\/ai-for-legal-departments-from-adoption-to-value\/","title":{"rendered":"AI for Legal Departments: From Adoption to Value"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artificial intelligence is transforming organizations, and legal departments are no exception. While many teams have started exploring AI, a large number still struggle to fully integrate it into their day-to-day operations. This article reviews the current state of AI adoption, the main barriers, the value it delivers &#8211; especially in contract management &#8211; and the key steps to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. AI adoption in legal departments*<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI is gaining ground in legal teams, but adoption remains uneven:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>56% of legal departments<\/strong> already use general-purpose generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Claude) for everyday tasks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, only <strong>14% of departments<\/strong> have implemented AI solutions specifically designed for legal use cases.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>40% are not using AI at all yet<\/strong>, highlighting significant room for growth and transformation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This shows strong interest in AI, but also hesitation when it comes to structured, strategic deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Key barriers hindering AI adoption*<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several obstacles continue to slow AI integration in legal departments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology integration:<\/strong> 42% of legal teams report difficulties connecting AI tools with existing systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trust and reliability:<\/strong> Nearly 37% express concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated outputs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ethics and confidentiality:<\/strong> The sensitive nature of legal data raises major security and compliance concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of training:<\/strong> Around 30% of departments do not provide sufficient training on AI tools, limiting effective adoption and usage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overcoming these barriers requires a structured approach, combining secure integration, proven use cases, and proper team enablement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. The value of AI in contract management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contract management is a critical area for legal departments and one where AI can deliver significant impact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Improving contract management is considered a priority by <strong>54% of departments<\/strong>, yet only <strong>33%<\/strong> have made AI a priority investment to optimize these processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI tools can help to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automate data extraction and analysis across thousands of contracts, freeing up time for higher-value work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen the monitoring of contractual obligations across large portfolios, reducing compliance risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve collaboration between legal and other departments through smoother workflows and centralized data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By automating repetitive tasks and delivering deeper insights, AI enables legal teams to focus more on strategic responsibilities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Defining the path forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The future of legal departments is increasingly tied to AI. According to the report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolterskluwer.com\/nl-be\/know\/future-ready-lawyer-2024?utm_medium=partner_site&amp;utm_source=ibj\"><em>Future Ready Lawyer<\/em><\/a>, <strong>73% of legal departments<\/strong> plan to significantly increase their AI investments over the next three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key first steps include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Assess your digital maturity:<\/strong> Map current capabilities to identify priority needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Centralize your data:<\/strong> Well-organized and accessible contracts and documents are essential for effective AI use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Select integrated solutions <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolterskluwer.com\/nl-be\/solutions\/legisway\/brochure?utm_medium=partner_site&amp;utm_source=ibj\"><strong>such as Legisway<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Favor tools that automate tasks while fitting smoothly into existing systems.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A thoughtful AI adoption strategy can not only improve legal operations but also strengthen the legal department\u2019s strategic role within the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To learn more, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolterskluwer.com\/nl-be\/solutions\/legisway\/brochure?utm_medium=partner_site&amp;utm_source=ibj\">discover Legisway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">*Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolterskluwer.com\/nl-be\/know\/legisway-benchmark-for-legal-departments?utm_medium=partner_site&amp;utm_source=ibj\">The Legisway Benchmark for Legal Departments 2025<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial intelligence is transforming organizations, and legal departments are no exception. While many teams have started exploring AI, a large number still struggle to fully integrate it into their day-to-day operations. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-partnerblog"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AI for Legal Departments: From Adoption to Value - IBJ - IJE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ibj.be\/en\/partnerblog\/ai-for-legal-departments-from-adoption-to-value\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI for Legal Departments: From Adoption to Value - IBJ - IJE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Artificial intelligence is transforming organizations, and legal departments are no exception. 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